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A nice little seaside town!

Yesterday, what with the sunny weather and the whole household having today off, we decided to go to the seaside. Having being to Barmouth before, I wasn't that fussed as I had been before, and much prefer other seaside places such as 'Llandudno'. However, Barmouth had the most votes in our household when it came to deciding where to go.

Barmouth is a seaside town (a small town) in North West Wales. We live around one hour and a half from Barmouth.

The way into Barmouth (and way out) is lovely; its really old fashioned and very pretty looking with lots of little cafes / restaurants and pretty flowers. It's very cute looking. There are also lots of small boats here. it's a lovely place to sit; we sat on a bench here eating our fish and chips (from the chip shop across the road).

There are plenty of places to eat; many cafes, restaurants, etc. We noticed that a couple were closed today, although it was a Monday and so that's perhaps why. Although on weekends I am sure that they are all open and there are plenty of places to eat to suit all budgets. There are also plenty of 'little huts' selling food including; fish and chips, doughnuts, ice cream, slush puppies, candy floss etc. We found them to be good value - I had a bucket of candy floss for £1.50 and an ice lolly for 60p.

The beach (the best bit) - is very large stretching out for quite a few miles. We found the beach to be clean - the sand was clean - and when I stepped in the sea, I found the water to be very clean. Beware of weaver fishes though - we saw a sign by the beach saying that they live in the sand and water and are very poisonous! Luckily we didn't see any.

There are plenty of things for kids to do; first of all, you have the beach, then there is the donkey rides and a couple of kids 'things' (I.e. bouncy castles and trampolines on the beach) and then there's the arcade and fun fair. My sister and I went on one of the rides (Waltzers and it cost us £2 each which we thought was quite good - especially as we have paid more in other places).

All in all, I would recommend Barmouth - more for the seaside bit, more than the town as there isn't really that much to do (for adults anyway - there's plenty for kids).

~ * Extra Points, Tips & Information * ~

There are a couple of car parks - we found there were plenty of car parking spaces available.

We walked along the beach which was lovely - the beach was very clean and so I felt I could take my shoes off and walk along the beach.

Dogs are welcome on the beach - we saw lots of them.

Barmouth is a great place for a day out!

There are many different types of accomodation available: hotels, B&Bs, Caravans etc.

There is a train station nearby.

Thanks for reading!September 2012Xdonzx / xd-o-n-z-x

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Beautiful Area. Great Resort. 'Where Snowdonia Meets The Sea'

It is a shame that some guides and books can not see beyond the image of Barmouth as a tacky seaside resort because apart from a small area in the centre this North Wales resort is surrounded by some of the finest scenery you will see anywhere in Britain. It is also a place full of history with a magnificient 3 mile soft golden sandy beach with masses of room for everyone. The walks around the hills, mountains and estuary are as good as anywhere in the UK - you can get away from it all and see world class views within minutes of leaving the town behind. As for the new town and beach amusements they could just do with a tidy up as they are to a Seaside Resort the income that keeps it going. They do not sprawl any further than the main area around the Train Station anyway and within minutes you can be in the beautiful old town and harbour. A resort with something for everyone in a stunning location - what more could you ask for? The weather I guess? But you can't change that in Britain - you just have to get on with it!

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Great place to visit,even better to spend the aday in the sea

me nad my family were after a day out in the summer holidays so we decided on barmouth,i hadn't been there since i was a child and only have memory of driving through it.It was a lovely warm summers day and we got to barmouth for about half 9 and was a lovely drive from where i live through the valleysWe parked in te main car park by the RNLI station and was about £4 all day...great. We had a walk into the shops for a bucket and spade and all seemed very pleasant the only problem was the pavements are very small and made life difficult with a pushchair. We stopped and had breakfast which was pricey for what it was and then headed to the beach...wow it was the best beach i have been to in the uk. Lovely near whiteish sand and sea so blue it was wonderful.I went swimming in the sea with my daughter there was no litter no horrible sea weed or rocks just pure water and sand.Also what was great was the view hills and high peaks and valleys all rolling down to beach. What i found very cool was the RAF using this as a pass for training so you would always hear or see fast jets. My only complaint was that it got a little busy and overcrowded we only stayed til two as we had a long drive back. I was quite down coming back as i knew this would be the last seaside i would see this year and what a nice place it was to visit.There was alot of things for the visitor to do,there was a market which you could walk round and view,lots of small cafes and pubs further down the seafront,there was arcades and fairground rides and last but not least donkey rides on the beach.One of the best sea side towns i have been to,it was just a shame we were not there on holiday

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An ideal location for a family beach holiday in the UK

Barmouth is a small, traditional seaside town situated in the centre of Cardigan Bay, south of Snowdonia, nestled between the sea and the hills. It can be reached by a drive through Snowdonia or by train.

I spent the first six years of my life in Barmouth and I decided to take my little sister there to see if it was as good as my fuzzy memories and my mother's fond tales.

We stayed at one of the numerous campsites, there are a fair number round about with various facilities depending on your preference, we chose a small, basic site about 10-15 mins walk from the town along the sea front. And it is this sea front that is the main reason to visit Barmouth, it has a gorgeous stretch of sandy beach running the whole length of the town. Starting at the harbour and onto the dunes which are the bits that are the busiest and closest to the town centre. However if you wish to find a quieter bit of sand and clean sea it only takes a short walk (or ride on the land train) along the promenade to find a space for your sandcastles and paddling.

But when you have finished on the beach what else is there to do? Well please remember this is a small seaside town but it is not totally bereft of facilities. There are a variety of pubs and restaurants, suiting a range of tastes and wallets, and I can recommend the pizzeria where they top pizzas to taste and serve huge homemade cakes at a sensible price. Although it does close very early in my opinion. There is also a ice cream parlour on the high street selling a range of flavoured ice creams made with Welsh cream, as well as several other local vendors nearer to the sea front.

With hunger appeased, between the months of March and October, there is a small funfair, suitable for young children, just across the road from the beach. This has been in the town for as long as I can remember and charges reasonable prices for the entertainments. One that seems to go down very well is the "bumpy" slide which seems to have a constant stream of children running up the steps to come slipping down rapidly on their sacks.

As a small town you will not find many of the high street stores in the shopping area, and there is only a small supermarket, but there is a range of independent shops selling items from dolls houses and souvenirs to kites and walking gear. On the note of walking gear there are various walks in the vicinity and Barmouth has an annual walking festival in the autumn.

For culture vultures there is the small Dragon Theatre which I have not visited but seems to have a range of shows.

Near to Barmouth is the castle town of Harlech, Fairbourne with its steam railway and Machynlleth with its Centre for Alternative Technology which are all good days out if you wish to explore the area a little.

So did Barmouth live up to my memories and stories? Yes it did, we had a very enjoyable short break their and have repeated the experience several times, at my sister's request, since. It was lovely to relax in a town which has retained its best bits successfully for several years and the beach is spectacular - sandy with clean seas. The promenande is wide easily accomodating walking groups and the land train. The town itself is picturesque, with the view over the harbour being especially worth a mention.

If you want a family beach holiday in a quiet, unspoilt resort then I highly recommend this town. If however you require a kicking nightlife and a regular shopping fix whilst away then I don't think it's for you.

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We live about an hour and a half from Barmouth, one of the most beautiful and unspoilt seaside resorts in the UK. Every year, usually in June, we shake off our lethargy, jump in the car and take a trip through dramatic and beautiful mountain ranges, past placid lakes and over windswept moors to get there. The weather’s always beautiful, the sea and the sky are contrasting shades of blue and the scenery is absolutely stunning. Each visit I come away feeling totally at peace with the world and wondering why we don’t go there more often. Vowing to return the following week or month, the moment passes and like life, another year sweeps by before we pay this little spot of heaven another visit. Barmouth is a busy seaside resort with a bustling atmosphere, found on the west coast of North Wales at the south west corner of the Snowdonia National Park, which in my, perhaps biased opinion, is the most beautiful of the country’s national parks. It lies on the mouth of the river Mawddach, in an idyllic situation between the spectacular southern Snowdon mountains and the sea. The town itself is steeped in history with close connections to both the shipping and slate industries and is noted for its steep steps and slate-roofed cottages hanging on the side of a mountain. It has no shopping mall (yet!) and few of the national chain stores, yet there are lots of individual shops selling a range of local products and locally produced goods, ideal for gifts. It also has a variety of pubs and hotels providing food at reasonable prices. Local history can be discovered at the medieval tower house Ty Gwyn which dates back to Tudor times. The Sailor's Institute and the RNLI Museum also have details on Barmouth's historic maritime past. But from a personal point of view, its not the town that makes Barmouth special, it’s the beach, the sea and the scenery and I would challenge anyone to find a nicer spot when the sun’s shining. The harbour is absolutely beautiful, comparable to those quaint little fishing villages that people drewl about in Italy and Spain, and an evening walk across the spectacular Barmouth bridge which spans the river is inspiringly romantic. It offers excellent sailing facilities and is the starting point of the annual "Three Peaks Yacht Race" from Barmouth to Fort William, also music lovers are catered for with the patchwork festival in June and the arts festival in September. The beach which holds a European Blue Flag award is magnificent, its large and perfect for sunbathing with sand comparable to Cornwall’s best, ideal for games and also surfers, depending on the swells and time of year. Children and families love the beach yet its size means those wanting to get away and relax in peace and quite can do so easily. The sand dunes by the harbour add another dimension, with a little spur, ideal for fishing, watching the world go by or taking in the scenery, which can only be described as vast. My favourite part of Barmouth is the Mawddach estuary on the approach to the town. It is an area of immense beauty and offers visitors a range of walks to suit the determined and the casual stroller. It is a haven for bird spotters and those wishing to get away from it all and offers great picture taking opportunities, especially at sundown. About two or three years ago together with a group of friends from the school where my wife works, I cycled to Barmouth from Dolgellau a town about 12 miles down the estuary. We followed a purpose built cycle path alongside the Mawddach, with the north face of Cader Idris on our left, the river on our right teeming with wildlife and the glorious mountains on the other side of the estuary sweeping down to the river. Absolutely fantastic, it was a gorgeous day, blue sky, sunny, warm, dry, good company, exhilarating exercise and an ever so pleasant pub half way between the tw o towns, which provided a compulsory stop in the journey. Believe me it was something straight off the holiday programme – you couldn’t have planned it better. Another of my favourites is the Panorama walk, a series of terraced paths overlooking the estuary, which rises just east of the town from a path on the north side of the Dollgellau road. These cliffs provide incredible views of the estuary, the beach and the mountains, which appear to stretch into the distance as far as the eye can see. The National Trust acquired their first land at Dinas Oleu above Barmouth. The area abounds with walks to suit enthusiasts and ramblers alike and it is no surprise that Barmouth was a favourite with the work of the poets Wordsworth and Ruskin. Barmouth is also the home of the Fairbourne and Barmouth Railway track which was originally laid in 1895, by Mr. Arthur McDougall of ‘McDougalls’s Flour’ fame. It was built to transport building materials for the construction of Fairbourne village. Since then his horse-drawn trams have been replaced by steam engines and in 1985 the 15" gauge track was converted to 12¼". The line is 2 miles long and runs between Fairbourne Station and Penrhyn Point, site of the Pullman Pavilion Restaurant, where passengers can embark on the Ferry to Barmouth. This in itself is yet another wonderful day out. If you do decide to visit Barmouth after reading this review I’ve been told by someone at work about the Bae Abermaw, formerly the Panorama Hotel, which is one of the oldest hotels in the Barmouth area. The hotel is now under new ownership and new management, and over the past year has been completely restored, in part through a generous grant from the Wales Tourist Board. Apparently the dining room overlooks Cardigan Bay and Barmouth Harbour and has been restored to its original materials, polished wood floor, Welsh stone fireplace, with French doors leading out to the gar den. The foods supposed to be excellent, particularly the Sunday Brunch buffet, which combines the best of Welsh traditional breakfast fare, traditional grill, and light drinks which you can enjoy over the Sunday papers and follow up with a walk along the Estuary and/or a nap by the fire. Sounds great! One word of warning – the weather’s always been fine for me but as lovely as Wales is, it’s a totally different picture when its pouring with rain, still lets not be pessimistic, pay Barmouth a visit and see if you agree with me.